Thoughts on Painting and Some Tips

'Three Escape the Deluge,' acrylic and ink on canvas, 70 x 50 cm (2018)

As an artist sometimes it is interesting to stand back and analyse the source of your painting ideas and stylistic changes. The painting posted above has a different approach to some of my recent work in that it has included figures and is quite detailed. I was not sure about it but my husband persuaded me not to paint over it. I did not plan this painting but I believe that this theme was influenced by my large Dafen Biennale painting (posted on 20th July)), which explored thin washes of paint against texture and pattern, with figures in a landscape setting. I think that each painting an artist makes filters in to new work, even if in minor ways. Language is always referencing itself in unknown and unconscious ways.

'Daytime in a Jug,' acrylic and ink on canvas, 50 x 50 cm (2018)

While still involved in abstraction and finding forms for landscape that can be translated in to an abstract language, (as above) the figurative paintings are inspiring a different way of looking at abstraction. Painting is certainly not easy because while allowing the image to evolve within its own terms, I am also aware of what I am seeking from paint and in particular the use of mark making and calligraphy. It is like a spiral, sifting around and around through various competing elements until the ones with 'meaning' take a paint form.

My work also involves at times an autobiographical element. I paint pictures that may reference an event in my life, or thoughts about places and people, or a News item. I learned not to worry if these ideas enter some paintings unbidden - or if they seem to take me away from my 'core' vision. The more I paint, the more I believe that you should not censor ideas; just let them appear and keep working. Ideas are always evolving and for most artists there is a constant looking back at past paintings and extending aspects from those in new work. I also believe that working in a figurative way helps to strengthen your awareness of elements such as drawing and colour when it comes to abstraction. 

This painting, from two years ago, is about Migrants. Here the colour is much thicker and mostly oil paint. Working with thin paint was a result of working with ink on rice paper after my trips to China, but I also like the dialogue with thick paint as part of my process.

'Migrants,' oil on canvas, 70 x 50 cm (2016)